One year after the F-Pace crossover became Jaguar’s most popular and fastest-selling model, the company has unleashed a cub poised to follow in those profitable paw prints. The smaller E-Pace is expected to capitalize on the segment’s red-hot popularity with its sports-car styling and high-end heritage. This latest crossover confidently casts its own shadow with a design theme paralleling that of the stunning Jaguar F-type coupe. Along with all-important practicality and notable capability, the first ever E-Pace may just drag its maker into the most lucrative part of the mainstream market.

Competent Kitty

Despite Jaguar’s dangerously similar naming scheme, don’t confuse this vehicle with the all-electric Jaguar I-Pace, as the E-Pace doesn’t sip electrons. The E-Pace will be available only with a gasoline-fueled, turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four Ingenium engine in two states of tune. The base engine makes 246 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque; the other, exclusive to the R-Dynamic models, produces 296 horses and 295 lb-ft. Both connect to a nine-speed ZF automatic transmission that directs engine torque to one of two all-wheel-drive systems. The standard system uses permanent all-wheel drive, while the R-Dynamic has what Jaguar calls an Active Driveline that can transfer almost all engine torque to either the front or rear axle depending on driving mode and conditions. While not available at launch, an optional Configurable Dynamics package will include driver-adjustable settings for the steering, throttle response, transmission, and available adaptive dampers.

Like the rest of the Jaguar lineup, the E-Pace has a subtly striking exterior design. As with the F-Pace, company officials used a lot of words explaining how this size-smaller crossover has been influenced by the F-type sports car. Its oval grille, vertical headlamps incorporating familiar J-blade running lamps, and sleek roofline tapering into the tail all make it resemble the F-type coupe. Sculpted rear fenders and Jaguar’s new chicane graphics visible on the lower door panels and within the rear taillamps accentuate the design. R-Dynamic models employ a front bumper with larger air intakes, much as on the XF S and the F-Pace S, plus body-color sill panels and a more aggressive rear bumper. A First Edition trim will be exclusively available for the first full model year with its own exterior colors and distinctive 20-inch wheels, among other things.

Underneath the Skin

Sports-car-like treatments also were applied inside the E-Pace’s driver-centric cockpit. A grab handle on the center console separates driver from passenger, while the F-type’s upright electronic shifter is used rather than the rotary dial from the F-Pace. Soft-touch materials are used on the upper dashboard and door panels. The absence of wood trim in the cabin in favor of aluminum pieces is intended to present a modern image (read: not a stodgy, British-luxury-car one) to first-time Jaguar buyers, who the company said are expected to account for up to 80 percent of E-Pace sales.

While it may look like a mini F-Pace, the E-Pace actually is based on the front-drive architecture of the Range Rover Evoque—rather than the rear-drive-based F-Pace—although the wheelbase has been stretched 0.9 inch compared with the Evoque, which should help with rear-seat space.

Tech Inspection

Every model comes standard with a 10.0-inch touchscreen using the latest iteration of Jaguar Land Rover’s corporate InControl Touch Pro infotainment system. It’s available with a 4G LTE Wi-Fi mobile hotspot, four 12-volt outlets, and two USB ports. Three of the 12-volt outlets are located on the back of the center console and can be optioned into USB ports instead. Unfortunately, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility are absent from the features list.

The E-Pace’s center console features a set of cupholders that can be removed, covered for more storage space, or left exposed to provide a handy slot for, say, a phone. Other neat treats include an optional 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster that’s customizable and can nearly fill the screen with a navigation display, much like Audi’s Virtual Cockpit. The E-Pace also is among the first Jaguar models to implement the company’s new color head-up display. Available active-safety features include blind-spot monitoring, a 360-degree camera, parking assist, and automated emergency braking.

The E-Pace will start at $39,595 when it goes on sale in the U.S. within the first two months of 2018. R-Dynamic models start at $48,245, and the First Edition tops the price meter at $54,545. While the base E-Pace is more expensive than rivals such as the BMW X1, the Mercedes-Benz GLA-class, and the Lexus NX, it undercuts the 2018 F-Pace’s base price by $3465.

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